Marathon Weekend 2023

[lookingforsunshine]

I think medals should celebrate that particular event first and foremost and then the theming should add a little variety secondarily to that.

I agree. I wish they just said 30 years on the ribbon or something.

 

[dtrain]

The medals are not great, but the bling should be the least important thing. What matters is you signed up, balanced life and training, worked your butt off, pushed hard when you didn’t want to, found out what you‘re made of…Get out there and have fun!

 

[RunWI1265]

Some of you guys were talking about the 20th anniversary medal, so I had to go find it.

You guys were right, that one is beautiful!

Oh that is a fantastic medal! So classic. I love it.

I don’t think I ever mentioned this. And it’ll probably make some of your laugh because I know you did the same. I booked my MW room long ago with a check-in date of December 31 that I intended to later modify when packages got released. All with the intentions of not having to call and speak to someone on the phone. Well Apparently I can’t modify it myself so I have to call anyway which I have been trying to get the motivation to do while also actively avoiding haha.

 

[GollyGadget]

Oh that is a fantastic medal! So classic. I love it.

I don’t think I ever mentioned this. And it’ll probably make some of your laugh because I know you did the same. I booked my MW room long ago with a check-in date of December 31 that I intended to later modify when packages got released. All with the intentions of not having to call and speak to someone on the phone. Well Apparently I can’t modify it myself so I have to call anyway which I have been trying to get the motivation to do while also actively avoiding haha.

I went through a travel agent so that I would not have to call. I had used them in the past with no complaints but this time it has been a huge hassle. I needed to add an extra night and it took her nearly a month! I wish I would have just waited or called Disney directly.

 

[Ariel484]

Some of you guys were talking about the 20th anniversary medal, so I had to go find it.

You guys were right, that one is beautiful!

Wow, thanks for posting this. I definitely remember them releasing this video. It was...a *moment.*

To everyone who said the marathon medal needs to drop the "I Did It" and add "years" - YES!! The medal is growing on me, as I thought it would, but that small change would make it a lot better.

 

[NYC_MW]

On the budget topic and memory maker...
If you are doing multiple races weekends, you can time it right to only pay once for memory maker.

I bought memory maker in October. We went for W&D in November. I activated memory maker in mid December and downloaded the W&D pics. We went for MW while memory maker was still active and downloaded those too.

@gosalyn_mallard: did it work to get all the photos from both trips? I'm contemplating doing the same for MW and PW next year. If I'm reading it right, we just make sure to not activate/download any pictures until end of January, right? And can we look at the pictures before then or would that count as activating memory maker? Thanks!

 

[gosalyn_mallard]

@gosalyn_mallard: did it work to get all the photos from both trips? I'm contemplating doing the same for MW and PW next year. If I'm reading it right, we just make sure to not activate/download any pictures until end of January, right? And can we look at the pictures before then or would that count as activating memory maker? Thanks!

Yep, it worked to get all the photos from both trips. You can look at the pictures without activating memory maker. They will have the photo pass watermark on them until you activate it. I kind of remember a pop-up in the app asking for confirmation that you want to activate when you download a pic for the first time.

 

[Ariel484]

Patiently waiting for them to announce the mile 30 spectacular for the 30th marathon…


…

 

[camaker]

Patiently waiting for them to announce the mile 30 spectacular for the 30th marathon…


…

But then with not being able to run the tangents at Disney, it would actually be more like a 50k, so shouldn't the medal say "50" instead of "30"? You're making my head hurt @Ariel484!

 

[Ariel484]

But then with not being able to run the tangents at Disney, it would actually be more like a 50k, so shouldn't the medal say "50" instead of "30"? You're making my head hurt @Ariel484!

The Walt Disney World Marathon - the marathon you didn’t know was actually an ultra!

 

[Baloo in MI]

Patiently waiting for them to announce the mile 30 spectacular for the 30th marathon…


…

Now that is funny!!!!

 

[kps7795]

This post is self-admittedly the ultimate example of putting the cart before the horse seeing as how I haven't truly even begun my marathon training plan yet (I hope to begin next week), but I am curious about marathon race strategies that people use. Prior to Marathon Weekend, I listened to a running podcast and read about a strategy of taking the first 4-5 miles easy and then going into your marathon race pace the rest of the way. It is a little embarrassing to admit now, but I knew next to nothing about pacing because I did all of my training using effort and heart rate. First timer learning curve and all. I thought that I could run a marathon by heart rate, so I ran the first five miles at a heart rate of 145 bpm and then ran at a 155 bpm starting at mile 6. Considering this dumb *** strategy, I don't think that I did all that poorly but I basically crashed at mile 21 and my pace went from around 10:15 to 12:00-12:15 for the remaining five miles.

I was recently reading about the 10/10/6 strategy in which you run the first ten miles at an easy pace, the second ten miles at your goal race pace and then push yourself on the final 10K. Has anyone utilized this strategy?

What strategies have you all used?

 

[camaker]

This post is self-admittedly the ultimate example of putting the cart before the horse seeing as how I haven't truly even begun my marathon training plan yet (I hope to begin next week), but I am curious about marathon race strategies that people use. Prior to Marathon Weekend, I listened to a running podcast and read about a strategy of taking the first 4-5 miles easy and then going into your marathon race pace the rest of the way. It is a little embarrassing to admit now, but I knew next to nothing about pacing because I did all of my training using effort and heart rate. First timer learning curve and all. I thought that I could run a marathon by heart rate, so I ran the first five miles at a heart rate of 145 bpm and then ran at a 155 bpm starting at mile 6. Considering this dumb *** strategy, I don't think that I did all that poorly but I basically crashed at mile 21 and my pace went from around 10:15 to 12:00-12:15 for the remaining five miles.

I was recently reading about the 10/10/6 strategy in which you run the first ten miles at an easy pace, the second ten miles at your goal race pace and then push yourself on the final 10K. Has anyone utilized this strategy?

What strategies have you all used?

My general strategy is to take the first 1/2 mile to mile a few seconds slower than target race pace to let my legs get warmed up. Then I settle into my race pace and do "check-ins" at miles 6.55, 13.10 & 19.65 to take stock and see see how I feel. If it becomes apparent at any of those points that it's just not going to be my day, I'll back off race pace to a more comfortable "just finish" pace. More importantly, if all systems are "go" at those points, I'll generally do the following:

• Mile 6.55: Remind myself it's really early and continue target pacing
• Mile 13.10: Maintain target pacing. Maybe increase just a bit if things feel REALLY good
• Mile 19.65: Start to focus on pushing through the accumulating fatigue, start to push the pace forward if my legs allow

Once I hit mile 23, I remind myself I can do anything for 5k and focus on maintaining the pace. This strategy has worked well for me and 2 of my last 3 PRs have been negative splits. I find it a lot easier to maintain focus and effort level from a position of comfort looking to push forward than to try and hold onto a pace once fatigue and fade have started to rear their ugly heads.

Ultimately, you're going to have to figure out what approach works for you. Sometimes that means trial and error, but I think you'll know when you hit on the right strategy for "you". Good luck!

 

[Kerry1957]

but I basically crashed at mile 21 and my pace went from around 10:15 to 12:00-12:15 for the remaining five miles.

That's not a crash; just a minor fender bender .

You now have something to build on and think about. Mile 21 is a well known wall for many and just knowing that can mess with your head at that point in the race. Or did you go out just a bit too fast? Or was it a nutrition issue? Was the weather a factor? I ask these same questions myself since I just get worn out weary about mile 21.

During last January's Disney Marathon I just started walking at about mile 21. I probably would have kept walking for the remainder of the race. Fortunately a half mile into my pity party, a pacer group started to pass me and I just joined the back of the group. They carried me the last 5 miles and I really didn't feel that physically beat at the end. I actually seemed to get a second wind. That tells me that I was prepared to quit mentally before I needed to slow down physically. Of course, you may be completely different, but don't underestimate what negative self talk and mental delirium can do to sabotage your race at mile 21.

 

[kps7795]

That's not a crash; just a minor fender bender .

You now have something to build on and think about. Mile 21 is a well known wall for many and just knowing that can mess with your head at that point in the race. Or did you go out just a bit too fast? Or was it a nutrition issue? Was the weather a factor? I ask these same questions myself since I just get worn out weary about mile 21.

During last January's Disney Marathon I just started walking at about mile 21. I probably would have kept walking for the remainder of the race. Fortunately a half mile into my pity party, a pacer group started to pass me and I just joined the back of the group. They carried me the last 5 miles and I really didn't feel that physically beat at the end. I actually seemed to get a second wind. That tells me that I was prepared to quit mentally before I needed to slow down physically. Of course, you may be completely different, but don't underestimate what negative self talk and mental delirium can do to sabotage your race at mile 21.

For me, I know that it was physical. I ran too fast and my body was not trained to sustain the pace for the race. At Mile 21, my right quad seized up on me. At one point, I stood to the side and tried doing a quad stretch and that hurt even more.

 

[Kerry1957]

For me, I know that it was physical. I ran too fast and my body was not trained to sustain the pace for the race. At Mile 21, my right quad seized up on me. At one point, I stood to the side and tried doing a quad stretch and that hurt even more.

I take that as a positive. I would guess that for many folks, the mental aspect of marathon training may be more difficult than the physical aspect.

 

[FFigawi]

This post is self-admittedly the ultimate example of putting the cart before the horse seeing as how I haven't truly even begun my marathon training plan yet (I hope to begin next week), but I am curious about marathon race strategies that people use. Prior to Marathon Weekend, I listened to a running podcast and read about a strategy of taking the first 4-5 miles easy and then going into your marathon race pace the rest of the way. It is a little embarrassing to admit now, but I knew next to nothing about pacing because I did all of my training using effort and heart rate. First timer learning curve and all. I thought that I could run a marathon by heart rate, so I ran the first five miles at a heart rate of 145 bpm and then ran at a 155 bpm starting at mile 6. Considering this dumb *** strategy, I don't think that I did all that poorly but I basically crashed at mile 21 and my pace went from around 10:15 to 12:00-12:15 for the remaining five miles.

I was recently reading about the 10/10/6 strategy in which you run the first ten miles at an easy pace, the second ten miles at your goal race pace and then push yourself on the final 10K. Has anyone utilized this strategy?

What strategies have you all used?

When I race a marathon, I follow my previous coach's philosophy of running the entire race at my goal pace. As she put it, and which I fully agree with, the first half should feel super easy. From there to mile 18-20, it should feel harder but not too labored. From 20-23, you should be working hard and really having to focus on maintaining the pace. From 23 to the finish, hang on for dear life and run as hard as you can. I find this approach of running the same pace for nearly all of the race is easier to train for, easier to remember during the race since you're only focused on one number, and results in very even or possibly negative splits.

 

[Bree]

This post is self-admittedly the ultimate example of putting the cart before the horse seeing as how I haven't truly even begun my marathon training plan yet (I hope to begin next week), but I am curious about marathon race strategies that people use. Prior to Marathon Weekend, I listened to a running podcast and read about a strategy of taking the first 4-5 miles easy and then going into your marathon race pace the rest of the way. It is a little embarrassing to admit now, but I knew next to nothing about pacing because I did all of my training using effort and heart rate. First timer learning curve and all. I thought that I could run a marathon by heart rate, so I ran the first five miles at a heart rate of 145 bpm and then ran at a 155 bpm starting at mile 6. Considering this dumb *** strategy, I don't think that I did all that poorly but I basically crashed at mile 21 and my pace went from around 10:15 to 12:00-12:15 for the remaining five miles.

I was recently reading about the 10/10/6 strategy in which you run the first ten miles at an easy pace, the second ten miles at your goal race pace and then push yourself on the final 10K. Has anyone utilized this strategy?

What strategies have you all used?

Hansons wants you to run at goal pace the entire time.

RACE PROTOCOL
Once the starting gun goes off, it’s time to cash in all those hard-earned chips. The most common question we get about race strategy regards mile splits. We have already discussed the physiological reasons behind pulling back on the reins and running a conservative pace the first half of the race, but there is more to it than that. Throughout training, many of your workouts are focused on running specific paces. We strongly believe in the truth attached to the old adage “race the way you train,” and have emphasized even pacing during workouts in hopes of getting the same result on race day. More specifically, the training is meant to prepare you to run fairly predictable splits throughout but with the second half of the race slightly faster than the first, a strategy called a negative split. Kevin often reminds runners, “You can’t really mess anything up if you go out too slow, but you certainly can if you go out too fast.” In other words, going out slow will almost never cause lasting damage to your overall pace, but starting too fast might. If you go out ahead of pace and then start fading, not only will your body feel the strain, but your mind also takes a beating as you get passed by other runners who started slower.”

 

[jmasgat]

This post is self-admittedly the ultimate example of putting the cart before the horse seeing as how I haven't truly even begun my marathon training plan yet (I hope to begin next week), but I am curious about marathon race strategies that people use. Prior to Marathon Weekend, I listened to a running podcast and read about a strategy of taking the first 4-5 miles easy and then going into your marathon race pace the rest of the way. It is a little embarrassing to admit now, but I knew next to nothing about pacing because I did all of my training using effort and heart rate. First timer learning curve and all. I thought that I could run a marathon by heart rate, so I ran the first five miles at a heart rate of 145 bpm and then ran at a 155 bpm starting at mile 6. Considering this dumb *** strategy, I don't think that I did all that poorly but I basically crashed at mile 21 and my pace went from around 10:15 to 12:00-12:15 for the remaining five miles.

I was recently reading about the 10/10/6 strategy in which you run the first ten miles at an easy pace, the second ten miles at your goal race pace and then push yourself on the final 10K. Has anyone utilized this strategy?

What strategies have you all used?

I have never done anything other than even pacing--for me, the idea of expecting yourself to speed up later in a race is mind bogglingly unattainable. That said, a few caveats. 1) The first couple miles of any race are a natural warm up. Just trying to get into a rhythm, get the crowds to disperse, etc is a good time to not "take it easy", but rather avoid getting antsy/frustrated to "get racing". 2) Even pacing has a bandwidth--I try not to sweat natural variation due to course elevation changes, fueling stops, etc.

I think for me, I need the mental simplicity of "just one pace". It eliminates one think to think/worry about in a race that will already present physical challenge. Why make it mentally harder to manage.

 

[Cabius]

I'm by no means an expert on pacing, but my general theory has been that if I have a target pace that is based on what my body should be capable of performing, I should try to stick to that pace as closely as possible. If I deliberately run slower than that for some set of miles, that means I'll have to run faster in other miles to make up that time. Some variation is of course natural and unavoidable, but I wouldn't want to put myself in a position where, having trained my body to run at X pace, I have to run at 120% of X pace in order to catch up.